Buster Keaton: The Shorts Collection

Kino Lorber revisits the silent short comedies of Buster Keaton in this set that features not only his solo shorts but also his earlier comedies with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, altogether some 32 short films in all. Keaton cited Arbuckle as his early mentor and the shorts included here display Keaton's gift for corralling chaos and shaping free-for-all scenes with kinetic care and crack timing, as well as Keaton's generosity for showcasing the talents of his costars. You can see Keaton develop from screen neophyte to deadpan sidekick to silent comedy professional in these films (his gift for comic understatement and rubbery gymnastic pratfalls is thoroughly mature by the 1920 short "The Garage"), and then go on to develop his own screen identity and directorial style in the 19 solo short films that he made between 1920 and 1923, including the Keystone Kops-inspired slapstick classic "Cops," the frontier adventure fiction spoof "The Frozen North," and the ingenious and at times surreal "The Playhouse." Although he did not take director credit for these films, he was the creative artist behind every aspect of the production. This amazing run, along with Charlie Chaplin's Mutual comedies, represents the peak of creativity, ingenuity, and comic grace in American silent comedy shorts. Expanding on the Buster Keaton: The Short Films Collection 1920-1923 (VL-9/11), which only includes the 19 solo shorts, this edition also features a newly rediscovered alternate version of "The Blacksmith" and alternate endings to "Coney Island" and "My Wife's Relations." All of the shorts are newly remastered and restored by Lobster Films in France from archival film elements and feature orchestral scores. Extras include an introduction by film preservationist Serge Bromberg, an excerpt from 1951's Life with Buster Keaton, and a booklet. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)